Centrica has released a statement saying increasing costs and delays prompted the company to abandon plans to partner EDF in a UK nuclear rebuilding programme:

Since our initial investment, the anticipated project costs in new nuclear have increased and the construction timetable has extended by a number of years.

"These factors, in particular the lengthening time frame for a return on the capital invested in a project of this scale, have led us to conclude that participation is not right for Centrica and our shareholders.